Asked to name a “holy grail” technology that will be the key game-changer in future air combat, USAF Chief Scientist Greg Zacharias, in a panel discussion on innovation at ASC15, said the question was akin to asking which “is my favorite child.” He said, however, that future pilots will be looking for the technologies that make them as close as possible to being “invisible, at the highest speed, and invulnerable.” The technologies of autonomy, directed energy, and hypersonics offer the greatest promise, but should be considered “holistically,” rather than in isolation, Zacharias said. They will “all contribute” to future Air Force superiority, he said.
The Senate confirmed new leaders of U.S. forces in Europe and the Middle East over the weekend. Lawmakers on June 29 also approved a reshuffling of Air Force officials that will put new faces in the service’s Pentagon headquarters as well as at its largest command.